Stolen Time
by Genofuhrer
Summary: The Guardian Force no longer exists. The war between the Republic and the Empire is still raging. Why? Who is behind this? One word: Raven. How? By finding a zoid with the ultimate weapon. The weapon to travel through time. Please R
1. A Message from the White Tyrant

-----------------------At a Secret Helic Republic Base...------------------- -------  
  
"General Fleiheit! The troops have been assembled and we are ready to attack, sir!" a Helic Republic soldier saluted to a tall man that has his back to the soldier.  
  
"Good. I see that you've actually done yourself well this time Lieutenant O'Connell," the man said.  
  
Van Fleiheit turned to the Lieutenant with a small smirk on his face.  
  
"The Empire won't suspect an underground assault at all. This will be easy. We'll be able to take control of Guygalos City in no time. C'mon Zeke. Let's get going."  
  
One by one, the Stealth Vipers and Guysacks began to launch themselves one by one out onto the sandy ground, then disappeared beneath the surface of the earth...  
  
--------------------Somewhere in the middle of a desert--------------------- --------  
  
"I am a, transporter, of the wasteland..." Moonbay sang as her Gustav rumbles through the desert.  
  
A girl slept in the back seats, undisturbed by the singing. Her body rose and fell with her breaths, as the warm sun touched her pale skin. The dust rose as the red Gustav pulled three carts occupied by many weapons ordered by the Helic Republic.  
  
"I am just, making it up, as I go along..." Moonbay continued to hum and sing as she neared the Republican base.  
  
The hidden barred gates of the Republican gates towered over the small zoid. Slowly, they started to move, creating a crack just large enough for the Gustav to roll in.  
  
--------------------The hidden Guylos Empire base------------------------  
  
"Thomas! Stop fiddling with my Saber Tiger and GET OVER HERE!!" Colonel Karl Lichen Schubaltz yelled at his younger brother.  
  
Thomas scrambled to get in front of his brother as quickly as possible, which ended up with Thomas just slipping on a puddle on the floor and crashing right into Karl.  
  
"I-I'm really sorry Karl-er- Colonel!!" Thomas said as he helped his brother to his feet.  
  
Karl was raging with anger, but he was able to contain himself. He just glared and Thomas, and walked as calmly as possible toward the exit of the zoid hangar. A line of men were standing in front of him at attention.  
  
"Recent studies tell us that the Republic is targeting Guygalos City as its next place to strike. Our job is to protect the city, NO MATTER WHAT," the colonel said, emphasizing the last words.  
  
"Yes sir!" the men replied and saluted.  
  
"At ease men. Thomas! Have all the zoids been maintained!"  
  
"Y-yes sir!" Thomas stuttered as he stumbled out of the hangar, covered in grease and holding a wrench in his hand.  
  
"You know Thomas, you can use the other workers to help you," Karl said slightly annoyed by his brother. "And the machines are also up and running."  
  
"W-well... I thought that if I did it by hand the zoids would work better..." Thomas stared down at his feet, avoiding Karl's cold stare.  
  
"Anyway, go to your assigned zoid and load it into the cargo hold. We will be leaving at 1200 hours! Dismissed."  
  
The men saluted once more and rushed to the hangar.  
  
-----------------------Somewhere near the Guylos Empire Base---------------- -  
  
A Command wolf stood lazily on a hill. A man stood in the cockpit, adjusting the lenses to his eye patch.  
  
"So, they're getting ready to attack eh? Perfect timing to see if I can get myself some extra ammo. Let's go wolf."  
  
With growl, the wolf bounded down the hill, its head forward, and its mouth open in a haunting howl.  
  
**************************************************************************** ***  
  
Suddenly, Fiona, Moonbay, Van, Zeke, Thomas, and Irvine arrive in a dark gloomy cave. The bats flutter about widely, as confused as the people inside.  
  
"What the?! Where are we? Huh!? YOU'RE FROM THE EMPIRE!!" Van say, pointing an accusing finger at Thomas.  
  
"AND YOU'RE FROM THE REPUBLIC!!" Thomas says, pointing right back.  
  
But just as the two were about to leap on each other, there was a flash. A dark form was in the shadows, though none could see it exactly.  
  
"Hello my fellow Guardian Force members. Though I really do love to see you like this, I'm afraid I must turn you back to normal," a cold, echoing voice said.  
  
With another flash, the Guardian Force was back to normal.  
  
"Huh?" "What?" "Why was I working for the Republic?" "Where was the Guardian Force?" "I thought the war was over?"  
  
Everyone started yelling out questions at once.  
  
"SILENCE!" the booming voice of the figure shook the cave and its occupants.  
  
"You idiotic humans! If you'd just let me explain, it would all be much clearer!"  
  
"Well then tell us who you are for starters." Van said.  
  
"I'd thought you'd be the one to ask. I am the White Tyrant, rival of the Dark Kaiser," the shapeless form seemed to bow. "I have a message for you, the Guardian Force."  
  
"I'm NOT in the Guardian Force," Irvine snarled.  
  
"Whatever! You're close enough to it so shut it! Anyway, I have a message. Raven has gone mad, and he's found a zoid with the ultimate weapon. The weapon to travel through time."  
  
A/N: Soo?? What do you think? If you like it please review, and if I get enough reviews I'll continue. I may even continue if there aren't any reviews, but that's only if I'm in a good mood. So PLEASE REVIEW! Thanx! 


	2. The Catch and in the Realm of the Time C...

Everyone gasped. 'Raven? With a time-traveling zoid?' they thought.  
  
"Yes, I know you must all be surprised. Raven could destroy you all if he wanted to. Make it so you were never born. But that's why I'm here. I've come to offer you a chance to stop Raven," the White Tyrant said, with false friendliness.  
  
"There's a catch. There's got to be a catch," Moonbay said, stepping forward.  
  
"Ahh. The smart girl. Yes, of course there's a catch."  
  
"Well? What it is?" Thomas growled.  
  
"A death. That's the catch. All I want is one death. Either one of you must die, or, you must kill Raven," the White Tyrant's voice seemed to be happy, yet cold.  
  
"What?!" Van yelled. "You expect one of us to die?!"  
  
"Van, he said that either one of us, or Raven," Irvine said calmly. "So all we have to do is try not to die and kill Raven instead."  
  
"You make it sound easy," Van muttered.  
  
"So, will you take my offer and go save the world? Or will you decline it and go back to the little battle you were about to start?" the White Tyrant asked impatiently.  
  
"How can you be able to help us? Do you have the power to let us follow Raven to whatever time he decides to change?" Fiona asked quietly.  
  
"Oh yes. I almost forgot."  
  
Again, there was a blinding flash, and suddenly, there were two more occupants in the room.  
  
"AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" the girl screamed as she found everyone staring at her. "WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE!?!?!?!"  
  
The girl fell back and crawled backwards to the cave wall. Zeke approached her cautiously, sniffing, and trying not to frighten the girl.  
  
"GET AWAY FROM MEEEE!!"  
  
"GRAAAAAARRRR!!" the second shape shot forward, blocking Zeke's path.  
  
Startled, Zeke took a step back and looked at the creature. It was like the other creatures he had seen before. The creatures that were helping the evil people try to destroy everything. But this creature didn't look evil. It was too beautiful to be evil. The angry creature fluttered its wings in annoyance, making the titanium feathers clink together. The creature's body looked similar to Zeke's, but more slender and elegant. It's silver, almost white body seemed to lighten the whole cave. Zeke stepped back again, and lowered his head.  
  
"And this, is Reigan Valkyrie," the White Tyrant said.  
  
"H-how do you know my name?!" Reigan said, now completely terrified.  
  
"I know many things child," the Tyrant snapped. "Anyway, this girl will help you. She has an organoid, as you can see. This organoid has the strength you need to follow Raven. The organoid is also capable of transferring some of its energy to another organoid, which makes it possible for that organoid to follow Raven as well. Now, you only have two organoids, which means two zoids. Choose carefully, because your decision will be final."  
  
"That means... not all of us can go. Doesn't it?" Fiona said.  
  
"Yes, Zoidian, that is true."  
  
"Problem solved! We'll just take my Gustav! Then everyone can go!" Moonbay said happily.  
  
"That might not be a bright idea. You Gustav might fit many people, but it does not go into combat very well. You want two zoids that fit a reasonable amount of people, and that have superb fighting skills."  
  
"Well then we're taking my Blade Liger. It'll fit two people," Van said confidently.  
  
"Who died and make you King of Zi?! You can't just choose!" Irvine said, whirling to face Van.  
  
"Well you're Lightning Saix doesn't comfortably fit more than one person now does it?!" Van yelled back.  
  
"Hey! I have a zoid too you guys! My Dibison is just as good as your guys' zoids!" Thomas said, stepping in.  
  
Reigan's head began to swim. These 'men' were getting on her nerves.  
  
"Okay! Just SHUT-UP!!" Reigan screamed at the top of her lungs.  
  
Everything seemed to freeze. Reigan was breathing heavily, and was suddenly embarrassed by the attention, but stayed firm. Fiona smiled at Reigan, and took it from there.  
  
"We need to think over this carefully. The choices we seem to have are Moonbay's Gustav, Van's Blade Liger, Irvine's Lightning Saix, and Thomas' Dibison."  
  
"I have a zoid too," Reigan said, looking at the imaginary cricket on the cave floor. Everyone stared. "It was originally modeled from the Command Wolf, and its combat system and battle skills were enhanced. It overheats sometimes, but the cooling gear usually works well. My zoid is called a Konig Wolf."  
  
"A Konig Wolf..." Van whispered to himself.  
  
"My Wolf's cockpit was enlarged a little so it can fit two people inside. Also, I had a special Arsenal Bay built into the back of my zoid. From the bay, the person inside can control all arsenals, though the pilot still has control."  
  
The pilots argued for several minutes, then came to the conclusion of taking the Konig Wolf, and the Blade Liger. Though not too comfortable, all six people were able to fit into the two zoids.  
  
"Comfy? Didn't think so. But I don't care. Have a fun little field trip and remember our deal," the White Tyrant seemed to fade away as the two zoids began their warp into time. The dark colors of the cave swirled together and they could see the conversations they were having a couple minutes ago. Then everything began to speed up, until the pilots couldn't see anything except for some colorful blurs, and then they were swept into oblivion.  
  
**************************************************************************** **********  
  
I stood watching the horrible battle rage on. Well, at least to other people it would have been horrible. To me it was like watching a favorite TV show. I felt my lips curl upward in a grin as both the Empire and the Republic zoids fought each other, destroying themselves. How wonderful it was to see fighting again. And I had Shadow back too, now. That idiot Hiltz had basically killed me, though I already am dead. I was never alive. You see, to be alive, you have to actually feel emotions. You have to feel mental and physical pain. I feel none. Nothing, nada. But I guess I was alive that day Hiltz had shot that charged particle cannon. Because I felt the sharp feeling, that people call hurt, in my stomach as I saw my organoid Shadow die before my eyes. That was the first time I had known I had affection for Shadow. I guess I have something to thank Hiltz for. For if Shadow had not died that once, I would have never been here...  
  
**Flash Back**  
  
'Moisture? On my cheeks? Ah, I remember now. Tears they called them. The salty water that is created by the eyes when sad or very jubilant. I haven't cried in over... bah, I don't remember anymore. Shadow, my faithful companion, why did you have to leave me? I fell so, so empty now. Weak I guess. You've been with me for as long as I can remember, and now, you're gone. It's like a dream really. This is one of those think I never even thought could happen...' I pitifully thought to myself.  
  
Sitting in the corner of my own house, I watched over Shadow's motionless body. The body that once used to be full of life, the body that used to always be next to me and fight with me no matter the odds. I knew sitting there like a pathetic little boy wouldn't bring Shadow back, but then again, what could? I started to stand; my leg was falling asleep. But then, a white light. Trying to shield my eyes and look to see where it was coming from at the same time, I saw that Shadow was gone.  
  
'Where is he?! Shadow?! Shadow!!' I screamed mentally at myself.  
  
The light was now outside. I jumped out the window, not bothering with the rusty doors. The light was fading, and I knew I would never catch up to it, but I didn't care. I was running with false hope, but in my mind I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, I could get Shadow back. The white light was completely gone, but I ran on, not willing to give up.  
  
'I'm out of shape,' I suddenly thought as my calves were beginning to tire, and my thighs were beginning to cramp.  
  
My legs finally gave way, and I fell down the hill, rolling into a small canyon range. I tried to get up, but my legs were petrified. They wouldn't budge. Feeling even more pathetic, I curled into a ball, and lay there in the dark shadows.  
  
Who dares enter the realm of the Time Cat? a voice echoed through my head, literally.  
  
The strange voice was coming from the inside of my head! My legs suddenly started working again.  
  
"Who's there?! Sh-show yourself!!" I screamed into the dark, eerie shadows.  
  
I heard sounds. Very familiar sounds though. I couldn't quit figure it out, until the sound seemed to be walking on top of me. It was the sound of a four-legged zoid. A "talking" four-legged zoid.  
  
A human? In my realm? How did you get in here? Speak fool!  
  
The zoids stepped into view, but the coal black night prevented me to see much of it. It looked like a- well a cat-type zoid. Its stride was graceful, and its limbs were slender. The face of the zoids seemed very indignant by me, and I could see its sharp, needle-like claws. (They were more like 8-feet needles but that's besides the point.) I held myself high, and tried to look as unafraid as possible, but I was aware that with a twitch, the zoid could cut off my head.  
  
"My name is Raven, and I have come into your realm in search of- of... well, in search of my friend."  
  
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Hope you liked the second chapter and remember to review!! Suggestions are okay, and so are nice comments. Flamies are just mean, and if you want to complain, at least say it in a nicer way so it doesn't necessarily sound like a compliant okay? Thanx again and keep reading! Yay! XD 


	3. Return of the Shadow

A/N: I'm sorry to all the O'Connel fans out there! . I didn't mean it to sound like O'Connel sucks or anything. I just wanted it to sound like Van was being all snotty just cuz he was in a high rank...  
  
You? Looking for a friend? Hah. No offense human, but judging by all the hate and darkness in your soul, I don't think you'd have any friends at all.  
  
I cringed at the comment. Then I started to realize what the zoid was doing. "What?! You can see into my soul?" I yelled, throwing away my tough- guy act.  
  
In a away little human, yes, the cat-like zoid nodded its head.  
  
"Well I have eternal hate and no one can change that!" I said with much dignity.  
  
The cat zoid laughed cruelly. No creature has eternal hate human child. All hate is temporary, no matter how much you convince yourself that you are evil. Now, about your friend...  
  
Then I saw him. The dark shape on top of the zoid's head.  
  
"Shadow!?"  
  
The cat zoid laughed its cold laugh again. Oh, you wish human. I have only tapped into your memory bank and produced this illusion of your friend, Shadow.   
  
Then a voice seemed to come from deeper within my head. As they were being produced by my own brain. 'I can see your thoughts. I feel your affection, and your hate. Use this zoid. It has the ability to travel through time. I can help you enslave it. With it, you can change everything...'  
  
I clutched my head. "Get out of my head!" I screamed.  
  
Suddenly the image of Shadow disappeared. Instead, I saw the illusion of a city, burning with timeless fire. There was a Genosaurer standing not too far away. My head pained again.  
  
"Ahh!" I was tearing at my hair, trying everything to make the pain cease. But it would not.  
  
There was a high-pitched noise in my head, then, I noticed it wasn't just inside my head. I could hear it with my ears as well. The noise seemed to affect the cat zoid as well. It started to stagger, trying to regain balance. The illusion of burning buildings disappeared. A Genosaurer was standing with its mouth open, and a Blade Liger was ripping through the charged particle cannon, and its blade clashed with the Genosauer's gaping mouth. I saw the explosion, and it was as if I was reliving that terrible moment. I stopped clutching my head, and looked down at the scars on my hands. Suddenly I was boiling with rage, and I didn't even notice that the cat-type zoid had fallen. I was going to kill again. The people would quiver at the mere mention of my name. I would rule this entire world by fear!  
  
'Yes,' the voice said. 'Be angry, for I feed on the anger in your heard and soul. Let me live inside your essence, and I will guide you to domination.'  
  
**End of Flash Back**  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------  
  
The six slowly drift back into consciousness. Reigan was the first to become fully aware of what had happened, and slowly got out of the cockpit. The air seemed cleaner, and fresher. The land they were on was a vast open plain. This was so different from where her home was. It was like something she'd see in a dream. There was a rustling behind her, and she turned around, ready to pound whoever was sneaking up on her. It just happened to be unlucky Van, and he ended up on the ground, with Reigan's fist and inch away from his nose.  
  
"Ah! Van!" Reigan said jumping off Van's chest.  
  
"Oww..." Van said still on the ground.  
  
"It was your fault for sneaking up on me!!" Reigan said, accusingly waving her finger at Van, who still hadn't gotten up.  
  
Then a cannon shot landed right next to Van, lifting him into the air.  
  
"Yaaaaaahh!!!" Van yelled, flailing his arms as he started to plummet toward the ground.  
  
But the Blade Liger/Zeke caught Van in its mouth just before he hit the ground.  
  
"Whoa. Thanks Zeke..."  
  
Van was carried to safety, as was Reigan by her Konig Wolf/organoid.  
  
"Thanks Angelo," Reigan said, addressing her organoid.  
  
The wolf/Angelo growled happily. Out of the ground where Van and Reigan had been, sleeper Guysacks began to rise.  
  
"That's strange... We didn't even fire any weapons, and the zoids are not Republican or Imperial," Van pondered.  
  
"Umm... Actually," Reigan said guiltily. "my zoid was made by the Imperial forces."  
  
"But I thought the Imperial army had no Command Wolves, and you said the original design was from the wolves." Moonbay said.  
  
"Yeah, that's why they made the Konig Wolf. A wolf is the perfect design for a zoid, but the Empire wanted to outdo the Republic, and created the Konig Wolf. But strangely enough, they were only able to create one Konig. Also, the Konig tends to overheat, so it has a built in cooling system that was very complicated to create."  
  
The other's thought about that for a while. But then a Guysack appeared out of nowhere, and its pincer was coming down toward them, cutting through the air like a bullet. There was a boom, and the Guysack was on its back. Smoke rose from the barrel of the Konig's Dual sniper cannon.  
  
You guys have to be more aware about what's around you, Irvine's voice came from the Arsenal Bay of the Konig Wolf. Hehe. I like this spot. I don't have to worry about driving the zoid, I only have to blast everything into smithereens! Irvine laughed coldly.  
  
"Uh yeah. Thanks Irvine," Thomas said, with a sweat drop.  
  
Well we'd better get outta here before the others find you. Oh wait. Here they come. Irvine turned the dual sniper cannon toward the approaching Guysacks, and started to shoot at them with deadly accuracy.  
  
Van, Fiona, and Thomas crammed into the cockpit of the Blade Liger, and Reigan and Moonbay jumped into the cockpit of the firing Konig Wolf.  
  
"Hold on tight Moonbay," Reigan said as she pushed the wolf forward.  
  
With an eerie howl, the Konig Wolf charged toward the sea of Sleeper Guysacks. Just as the Blade Liger and Konig wolf were about to clash with the Guysacks, Reigan stopped. She saw a silver, sleek cat-like zoid come out of nowhere and pounce on the Guysacks. Almost half of the army was destroyed in under a minute. Irvine started to fire the Dual sniper cannon again, mostly trying to get Reigan charging again than to shoot down the Guysacks. Van pushed the Blade Liger forward, blades extended, booster on. He took out about a third of the Guysacks that were left. Reigan and Irvine took out the remaining two-thirds with the sniper cannon and the electrostatic bite fangs. The cooling system was almost at its max, as the last Guysack fell. The two zoids turned to the unknown zoid.  
  
"Who are you?! Why did you just barge into our battle like that?!" Van growled at the zoid.  
  
There was an oddly familiar laugh. "You should at least say thanks. I saved your skins out there."  
  
Van was too shocked to speak. Could it be...him?  
  
"Why should we thank you?! We coulda taken out that measly little army!" Irvine snarled, his hands tightly around the controls, trying to restrain himself from shooting the unknown zoid.  
  
It seemed that Van was the only one to know who the unknown warrior was.  
  
"Why did you help us... Raven?"  
  
Everyone was silent, as the realized the truth.  
  
Raven laughed coldly again. "Good for you Van. You're not as stupid as this nitwit over there," Raven said, turning the zoid's head toward Irvine.  
  
'Control Irvine. Control yourself...' Irvine thought to himself as he tightened his grip around the controls, turning his knuckles white.  
  
"Anyway, I just wanted to make it easier for you to identify me through your little chase. And, I wanted to give you a demonstration of my new zoid."  
  
"Well if I take you out now, we won't have to chase you!" Irvine lost control and started to fire away with the Sniper cannon.  
  
The cat-zoid swiftly moved away from all the shots.  
  
"Uh, uh Irvine. You need to work on your aim. Well, now the clash starts Van. Good-bye," Raven said with slight amusement. "Until we meet again."  
  
The cat zoid disappeared.  
  
"Huh?" Thomas gasped as he rubbed his eyes, not exactly believing what he saw.  
  
"Cloaking device. Raven's zoid has a cloaking device," Van said, to no one in particular.  
  
Then, the Blade Liger began to growl.  
  
"What's wrong Zeke?" Fiona asked, worried.  
  
She followed Zeke's gaze. On the edge of a cliff, stood a dark figure. It roared and took wing, as trail of light following closely behind.  
  
"Shadow," Moonbay said darkly.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	4. Angel of Death and Destruction

"_"= human speech, regular sounds, etc...  
  
'_'= thoughts, both human and zoid/organoid  
  
_=zoid/organoid/etc. speech  
  
----------------= Scene change  
  
{A/N}= Authors note  
  
"Boom! Boom!" the two forces were firing continuously at each other.  
  
I watched from my perch in the high mountain range. The Imperial Forces were out numbered by the Republican Forces 1 to 10.  
  
"I suppose the Republicans are suppose to win this battle." It was more of a statement than a question.  
  
Yes... But you know what to do. the cold echoing voice said from inside my brain.  
  
I had gotten used to it. The voice, I mean. It was always there, telling me what was suppose to happen, telling me what I should do. So from my spot on the mountainside, I aimed the silenced anti-zoid sniper rifle carefully at the nearest Republican zoid. It was a white Command Wolf, unsurprisingly. I fired a single shot from the rifle that I had stationed on the cat's back. It sliced through the air, and pierced the cockpit of the zoid. I saw the pilot go limp through my scope, and the zoid fell as well. Laughing, I aimed for another zoid, and another. Each time, I aimed right for the pilot's forehead, and fired a very accurate shot from the rifle. With a swift "Swoosh!" the bullet silently sped through the clear air, and hit its target. The Command Wolves were almost all down now. I started to aim for the Gunsnipers next. I was both amused and disgusted about how the Republican Forces didn't notice their own teammates crashing to the ground without a scratch; only a small hole in the side of the cockpits.  
  
"Kuso... Out of ammo," I mumbled to myself.  
  
I threw the tossed aside the rifle and jumped down from the back of the cat zoid.  
  
You did good enough Raven. The Imperial Forces have a fairly large advantage now; the Republicans only have Gunsnipers now, and the Gunsnipers are not good at close combat.  
  
Sure enough, the Imperial Forces' Molgas and Relders were dominating. The Imperial's single Iron Kong was having no trouble ripping through the Gunsnipers' light armor either. I wordlessly climbed into the cockpit of my zoid. If any of the pilots on the battlefield saw my zoid, they would have thought it was an angel probably. My zoid doesn't look evil at all. But I guess, I am sort of an angel. I am the Angel of Death and Destruction. I grinned at the new name I had given myself as I ran down the steep mountain to go finish off the zoids I had shot down.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------  
  
"Well, what are going to do now? We lost Shadow," Irvine retorted.  
  
"It's not like it was MY fault!" Van replied with the same amount of anger and annoyance.  
  
Raven had warped again, and we had no idea where or what time we were in. I sighed again as I listened to Van and Irvine argue back and forth with each other. Moonbay, behind me, seemed just as bored.  
  
"See anything Angelo?" I asked for about the 20th time in the last 5 minutes, not expecting the answer I wanted anymore.  
  
Angelo just growled irritably and trudged on through the hot desert. Then I heard a roar from Zeke, who was ahead of us. It was a mountain range!  
  
"Yes! Now we can get out of this heat!" Thomas cried with joy.  
  
The Blade Liger rushed toward the base of the mountain, and Angelo matched its speed. The two didn't even stop when they had reached the base; they just started to climb. The mountain breeze helped to cool down Angelo's overworked and hot circuits, and the cooling system finally started to slow down to normal speed. I was glad to finally be in the shade, and decided to let some fresh air inside the cockpit. But as we neared the top, I smelt something horrid. The odor was of burning metal, ash, and blood. I heard Fiona gasp as we set foot on the peak of the mountain. Below, lay hundreds of zoids, some smoldering with fire, but most, not even scratched.  
  
I-I do not understand Reigan. These zoids are not even damaged... Angelo stuttered, confused.  
  
"I don't either Angelo. I don't either," I replied, almost whispering.  
  
Slowly, we descended down the mountainside, disgusted at the revolting smell of fresh blood and smoke. I jumped out of Angelo's cockpit as we got down the base of the mountain. Approaching the nearest zoid, I was startled at what I saw, and fell back.  
  
"What's wrong?" Fiona asked worriedly, walking over with Moonbay next to her.  
  
I couldn't speak. I just pointed a shaky finger at the cockpit. The two were silent as they looked into the cockpit. No word could describe the look on their faces, just as no word could describe the face of the pilot with the bullet hole in his forehead. The fear in the eyes alone would haunt me for the rest of my life. Van, Irvine, and Thomas went around checking the other zoids. Almost half of them had been killed the same way.  
  
The zoids are all... Not living. They have no essence anymore. They won't answer my calls... Angelo said, with a worried tone in his voice.  
  
We checked over the zoids, and ended up having to dissect one of the Gunsnipers. The thing that I found strange, was that the zoid core in each of the zoids had been completely destroyed, but the belly nor back armor had been penetrated. In fact, there wasn't even a single marking the told anything about someone trying to destroy the zoid core.  
  
"Raven..." I heard a sad, yet angry voice.  
  
I turned to see Van, his fists clenched, and two small streams of tears flowing down his face. I walked over and tried to comfort the warrior as best I could, but I knew there was nothing I, nor anyone else could do. From that point, I knew he was going to kill Raven.  
  
{A/N: Sorry, that chapter was a little short, but hopefully I can make the next chapter longer okay? Please keep reviewing! XD} 


	5. Clash of the Zoids

"_"= Human speech, regular sounds, etc...  
  
'_'= Thoughts, both human and zoid/organoid  
  
_= Zoid/organoid/etc. speech  
  
----------------= Scene change  
  
{A/N}= Author's Notes  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
"This is useless!" Irvine finally exploded. "We've been traveling for 4 days now and all we find are the after math of what Raven did! I WANT TO HAVE SOME ACTION!"  
  
No matter how annoying I thought Irvine was, he was right. We had been traveling for a while now, and we haven't even spotted Raven's cat-like zoid. All we found were masses of destroyed zoids, both Imperial and Republican. It didn't seem to match though. Why was Raven doing this? At first I thought he was trying to help the Guylos Empire, but when we found Imperial zoids also being annihilated, my theory was annihilated as well. What was Raven trying to achieve?  
  
Van, I am getting bored and tired. We have been traveling through this open plain for approximately 2 days now.  
  
"I know Zeke, but we have no idea where Raven is. All we have are these trails of massacred zoids," I said gloomily.  
  
The weather today wasn't good. I could see storm clouds starting to move in above the land. It would start to rain in a couple hours. But I said nothing, and trudged alongside Reigan's Konig Wolf. It looked glum as well, and so did Reigan.  
  
"I hate these kind of days," Reigan growled. "Cloudy days make me grumpy."  
  
"Well I've been grumpy since we've started this pathetic journey," Irvine said.  
  
"Shut up Irvine! No one cares about your stupid problems!" Reigan snarled, showing that she did, after all, get very grumpy on cloudy days.  
  
"Sheesh. Can we move any slower? I say we pick up the pace. We've been walking with our heads dragging on the ground for too long," Moonbay said, trying to stop the argument before it started.  
  
"Fine," Reigan said reluctantly, and her Konig Wolf sped up.  
  
I pushed the controls on my Blade Liger to match the wolf's pace. It finally started to rain, and no one said a word as we ran through the cold, clear droplets of water that fell from above. It seemed like all the tension was swept away with the falling rain.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------  
  
I stood in the rain, feeling the icy coldness as the stinging water fell onto my bare face.  
  
'Is there a way to control rain?' I thought to myself silently. 'Can a human being be able to use the elements at his own will?'  
  
Of course there is.  
  
"Stop doing that! Leave me to ponder as I wish. Some questions are not meant to be answered, and I'd also like to have some privacy!" I snapped at the voice.  
  
The voice just laughed. There is a way to do anything. Everything is possible you know.  
  
"I don't care! Just leave me alone!"  
  
Too bad there is no way I can leave you to yourself. Remember Raven? I live inside of you. There is no way to get rid of me, without getting rid of yourself.  
  
I said nothing, and walked back into the cave where Shadow was curled into a ball, and sleeping soundly in a corner. I knelt down beside my organoid - no? Friend? Partner? Yes, partner.- I knelt down beside my partner, and watched as he slept, unaware of my presence. My hand was about to touch his cold metal armor, when his eyes snapped open, and he sat up facing the mouth of the cave.  
  
"What is it Shadow?"  
  
They are here. I can feel them.  
  
"They? As in Van" I said, my voice suddenly turning dark.  
  
Yes, and the others as well. They are very near. Very near, indeed, Shadow growled.  
  
"Huh. Let's give them a nice welcoming party then, Shadow."  
  
I rose to my feet, and climbed into the cockpit of my zoid. As soon as the cockpit closed, the eyes glowed yellow, and we leapt out of the cave onto the wet dirt ground. Shadow flew above, almost unseen against the black storm clouds. The dirt ground changed into slick wet grass, but the zoid was able to adapt and run without slipping. I stopped, and saw two zoids. I white wolf-type, and a blue liger-typed. How I hated that Blue Blade Liger. When the two zoids got close enough to see me, they too halted.  
  
"Raven," Van said, heartlessly.  
  
"Hello again Van. I told you we'd meet again," I said, just as coldly.  
  
"Enough talk! Let's fight!" that idiot Irvine yelled.  
  
"You're done for this time!" Thomas, the brother of Karl, shouted.  
  
The Blade Liger pounced, but I was too fast. All the Liger got was a mouthful of damp grass. I leapt on top of the Liger's back, and ripped away a blade before it could get up.  
  
"How can that zoid be so fast?!" Van raged.  
  
The wolf zoid grabbed me by the back leg, and I felt a jolt of electromagnicity.  
  
"Ahh!" I yelled, in spite of myself.  
  
I turned one of my cannons toward the wolf's face, and fired. It retreated, but got nicked by the cannon shot. The Blade Liger charged with its remaining blade extended, and attempted to cut the neck of my zoid. I ducked just in time, and followed it up with a swift punch with my claw. The Blade Liger flew backwards, and landed in an awkward position on the soggy grass.  
  
"Arrgg!" I heard Van yell.  
  
The Zoidian also screamed, and I smiled at their pain. Surprisingly though, the other occupant of the Blade Liger said nothing. Perhaps he was unconscious. But I had better things to worry about. The wolf-zoid started to fire its dual sniper cannon in my direction, and I had hardly enough time to dodge them. It charged me while still firing its shots, and I had no time to react. It rammed into me, and sent me flying, and I landed near Van's Blade Liger. It was still functioning, but one of its legs was cut off from the zoid's power supply, and couldn't move. The Blade Liger wasn't a threat anymore in this battle. But the wolf was. It kept attacking, one move after another, not giving me anytime to think, just do. Its deadly fangs were flashing, and its sharp claws striking as fast as possible. I had just about enough.  
  
"SHADOW!!" I yelled.  
  
As soon as I did, my orga - partner came flying down from the sky, and fused with my zoid. I felt the awesome surge of power, and I struck the wolf square in the face with lightning fast speed. It staggered backwards, and I struck again, this time toward the zoid's front legs. Its knees buckled, and it fell to the ground. Quickly, it got up, but I was already in its back, with fangs sinking into its neck. The wolf howled in pain, and I smirked as it tried to shake me off. But I had the zoid in a death grip. Or so I had thought, until it released some electrostatic energy throughout its body, and up the fangs to my zoid. This time, I felt an inconsiderable amount of pain, and I let go of the zoid. The wolf-zoid leapt at me, but I coped with the pain, and leapt as well. We collided, and fell at the same time. The wolf got up quickly, but I was quicker. I clawed at the zoid, doing the same thing it had done to me. I attacked without rest, giving no time for the pilot to do anything. I struck the wolf-zoid upside the face with the muzzle of my zoid, and it seemed to freeze, before it finally fell to the ground. The rain was pouring over the scene, and it looked like something from a book. I stepped out of the cockpit, and examined the occupants of the two zoids. All were unconscious, and one, the pilot of the white wolf-zoid, was badly injured. Something nagged at me from the corner of my brain. It told me to take the girl. Her blood was running down the side of her face onto the grass, for the cockpit of the zoid had been cracked open, and she had been flung out.  
  
'Stupid guilty conscious,' I thought to myself as I picked up the girl in my arms.  
  
But something else struck me. If I held this girl as my hostage, I could manipulate the others. They would have to do as I say, or else I would kill the girl. I laughed silently, and walked to my zoid.  
  
Leave the girl.  
  
"No. She shall be in my care now. Besides, I could use a hostage."  
  
You don't need one! You have strength and power! the voice said, getting angry.  
  
"I don't care," I said simply, and walked away in my zoid, the girl nestled in the back. 


	6. Raven, meet Raven

"_"= Human speech, regular sounds, etc...  
  
'_'= Thoughts, both human and zoid/organoid  
  
_= Zoid/organoid/etc. speech  
  
----------------= Scene change  
  
{A/N}= Author's Notes  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
"Huh? Where am I?" the girl asked groggily.  
  
"Be quiet and don't move," I snapped; I was defiantly not in a good mood.  
  
My zoid had been badly damaged by the battle, and there had been no city for miles. The rain hadn't made it much easier either. Though it had stopped, all the slashed circuits were totally ruined, the armor had been burned, and the cockpit had sprung a leak, so I was completely waterlogged.  
  
"Raven!? Let me out! You can't kidnap me! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO KIDNAP AN INNOCENT LITTLE GIRL LIKE ME!!!" the girl screamed at the top of her lungs.  
  
I swear. The whole zoid vibrated because of her. I would have gone faster to try to shut her up, but my zoid could only manage a weak limp.  
  
"Shut up will you?! I have enough problems without you screaming in my ear!" I yelled back, surprising the girl a little.  
  
She sat back down, but continued to pout and make faces at me. I really didn't care at that moment. All I needed was somewhere I could repair my zoid.  
  
You have a time-traveling zoid Raven. Just time-travel to a time that has repair shops.  
  
"Oh good idea," I said, a little embarrassed at my stupidity.  
  
"Where are you taking me? What are you going to do to me?" the girl asked, more quietly this time.  
  
"I told you to shut your trap. I'll ask the questions. I'm in charge now little girl," I retorted.  
  
The girl looked at me with a glare that I personally admired. It was of rage and hate. I grotesquely smiled back at her, and tried to get the stupid zoid to go into warp.  
  
"Piece of junk! I've barely battled in this thing and already it's freezing up on me! Chikushou~!" I slammed my hands down on the control panels as I cursed, trying to get the zoid to warp.  
  
I sighed heavily. But I saw something approaching in the distance. It was coming at us very, very quickly.  
  
"Shadow! Fire missile pods!"  
  
The missiles were launched, but the zoid dodged the blasts easily. It was still gaining. I could see it a little better now. It looked blackish, with maybe some blue or purple or something.  
  
"Why don't you just battle the zoid? If you win you can just salvage the parts from it and fix your zoid," the girl said, as if it were something totally obvious. It was.  
  
"I know that!" I snapped. "Just be quiet!"  
  
"Why did you kidnap me in the first place? Oh, I know. It's because you like me isn't it? I knew no one could stand a pretty face like this. Not even some evil villain trying to conquer Zi."  
  
"WILL YOU SHUT UP ALREADY!? I ONLY KIDNAPPED YOU BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A HOSTAGE! Now I wish I had taken the Zoidan instead," I half-yelled half-muttered.  
  
I tried to charge the oncoming zoid, but it's legs were on a complete shut- down.  
  
"Can't you do anything about this Shadow?" I asked, hopefully.  
  
I am trying as best I can, Raven. The zoid has become badly damaged, and I am already at my limits trying to push this thing into warp.  
  
"Well obviously it's not working," I mumbled, feeling very irritated.  
  
Finally, the zoid reached me, and I thought I might as well give up. But when I looked up to face the zoid, I gasped. Speechless, I just stared, unbelieving. I was face to face with... me!  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------  
  
"Ahh! My head!" I heard Thomas yell in agony.  
  
I guess I didn't feel all that well either. I stepped out from the cracked Arsenal Bay of Reigan's Konig Wolf.  
  
"Moonbay, Reigan, you guys okay?" I asked, looking down at the cockpit.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," a voice said, though it sounded very much in pain. "But, Reigan's not in here!"  
  
"What!?"  
  
I searched for Reigan, or even a sign that she was here. I found nothing. I ran over to the Blade Liger, and tried to pry the jagged edges of the cockpit open, to get to the others. The glass cut my hands, and I was bleeding like hell, but didn't give.  
  
"Van, Fiona, Thomas? You guys alright?" I asked as the cockpit finally cracked open.  
  
I heard a groan from behind me. Zeke was lying on the damp ground, whimpering in pain.  
  
"I-I think I'm okay," came a voice.  
  
Van stood up and tried to balance on his unsteady legs. Thomas and Fiona were unharmed also. We had major headaches, but we were somewhat alive. All except Reigan. We didn't even know where she was. Angelo was having a tantrum. He was flying around, roaring and searching for Reigan.  
  
"She's not here you idiotic metal dinosaur! Now cool it!" I yelled.  
  
The organoid dropped to the ground, and started to whine. Fiona went over to the emotionally broken down organoid, and talked softly to it. I couldn't hear what she was saying, but it seemed to encourage the organoid a little more. It got back up to its feet, and walked over to the Konig Wolf. Immediately, it started to fuse with the zoid. But the zoid was too badly damaged. Angelo started to throw another mini-tantrum, and grumbled as it attempted to work on the zoid.  
  
"Well if an organoid is so keen about repairing the zoids, we should be too," Thomas said, and walked over to help the annoying little organoid.  
  
Van walked over to Zeke, helped him up, and started to work on the Blade Liger with Fiona. I looked over at Moonbay, who was still standing next to me.  
  
"Well, even though I know this is hopeless, I can try right?" Moonbay said, and shrugged as she walked toward the zoids.  
  
I let out a sigh, and reluctantly followed Moonbay. I knew that instant it would be a very long day...  
  
{A/N: Read read read!! Yay! Thanx for reviewing everyone! And no, Reigan and Raven are NOT going to fall in love because that would make this into a romance fic and I really suck at those. Anyway, please keep reviewing and reading! Thankies! XD 


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